Love Triangle: Ugh
by Blue Seidr
Summary: What if April asked Leo to help her practice? What if . . . something happened, a spark so to speak? What if Leo and April fell in love, but Leo didn't want to hurt Donnie and neither did April, so they kept it a secret? Well, that's easier said than done. Oneshot that will only be made into the story described if I get enough reviews asking me to, I'm writing too many as it is.
1. Chapter 1

**Okay, yes, yes should totally not be posting anything else. But, well, here I am.**

**Okay, to be perfectly clear, I think that Karai is Leo's true love and always will be, but I read this fanfic, More Than Just Friends by HotNunchuckFury, that wasn't even close to finished ****and it really got me thinking about the pairing of Leo and April. For my L/K sanity, this takes place before New Girl In Town, but after Monkey Brains.**

** So sorry Donnie/April fans. I love them too, a lot, but I kind of had to try this out. So read and see what you think. Keep an open mind, young one. He he. I'm such a dork,**

1

The day started out as a normal day for Leo. He woke up at 5:30, trained until 7:30 when he ate breakfast with his family, trained again with his brothers until 11:00, and so on and so forth. Typical stuff. Nothing particularly interesting happened until the afternoon when Miss April O'Neil came a callin' to the Lair. Then his life changed forever.

Okay, in truth, this in itself wasn't unusual, as April more often than not dropped by the Lair after school to see the guys. It's what happened that day that was different. But the story's getting ahead of itself. Let's go back to the beginning.

* * *

April pushed through the turnstiles and stepped into the oh-so-familiar room. Mikey was lying on the floor drawing, his thoughts a thousand miles away, and Raph was at the punching dummy. Apperantly the dummy had done something to offend him because Raph was punching the stuffing out of it. Literally.

April watched some of the fluffy cotton roll by like tumbleweeds before greeting them. "Hey guys! Where are the others?"

Mikey kept coloring obliviously, lost in his own little world, but Raph answered, speaking in between punches.

"Donnie's in - SMACK, SMACK - his lab, Fearless - SMACK, SMACK - is in the dojo - SMACK, SMACK - and Splinter's out for - SMACK, SMACK - a walk. Said somethin' - SMACK, SMACK - about gettin' away."

'Perfect.' Thought April. "Thanks Raph."

Raph grunted and nodded in a way April took to mean as, "You're welcome", then continued beating up the poor practice dummy. April walked to the ornate sliding doors and slipped inside. Sure enough, Leo was executing an immensely complex kata, filled with somersaults, flips, and graceful swings. Yet Leo made it look effortless and easy, performing each action with confidence and agility.

April waited patiently for him to acknowledge her presence, but he made no indication he saw her. When he turned towards her though, she saw why. His eyes were closed, his brow furrowed in concentration.

With a final, dancelike twist of his arms and body, he came to rest in a crouch. He took a few panting breaths and wiped sweat from his face. His eyes popped open and revealed stormy azure blue iris's. He cast his gaze around and jumped when he saw he was not alone.

"April! Hi! Sorry, I didn't hear you come in."

"It's okay. I like watching you guys train. You're really good, Leo."

Leo shook his head, smiling slightly. "Nah, this is nothing. You should see some of the katas Master Splinter can do. But thanks anyway. So what's up?"

"I was wondering if you could help me, actually."

Leo frowned. "I can try, but Donnie's the one you should ask about schoolwork."

"It's not about schoolwork. You know how Splinter is training me to be a kunoichi?" At Leo's nod, she continued. "Well, I was wondering if maybe you could give me a few pointers?"

Leo was surprised, but pleasantly so. "Sure April. I can give the teacher thing a shot. So show me what you know."

April started running through the Ukes she had been taught with him. Leo made a good teacher. He was patient and quiet. He gently made small corrections to her form and stature, and April found the changes felt right and made it easier to fight. He was kind when critiquing her style, and offered plenty of encouragement, staying calm and warm the entire time.

After about an hour of working on counters, April asked, "Leo, do you think you could show me how to flip your opponent? We started on it in our last training session, and I had a little trouble."

"Of course." Leo grabbed a soft blue mat from a corner and sat it on the floor behind him. "See, the trick is to use the other fighters momentum against him. Get him to run at you, then grab his wrists. May I?" He asked. She nodded and Leo gently but firmly grasped her small wrist in his big hands. April felt a shiver roll down her spine at his touch.

"You grasp his wrists, then roll down on to your back and pull him down with you. Then you lift your feet up and kick his stomach, pushing him over. Roll up with it and you should end up on top of him. The momentum of his running works against him and makes it easier to lift him over you. May I show you?"

"What?"

"May I demonstrate? It won't hurt, I promise. You'll land on the mat, and I'll do my best not to squish you."

"That's real encouraging." April rolled her eyes.

"Practice is the best way to learn. You'll be fine. Trust me."

"All right. Just be careful. I don't want Donnie to have to come scrap me off the walls."

Leo laughed, then tugged her down. Down April went, then up as she felt a push on her stomach. She landed on her back and saw Leo on top of her, one knee gently half-resting on her stomach. He was still holding her wrists, pinning them to the ground beside her head, his face inches from hers.

"Gotcha." He joked, smiling at her, his eyes twinkling. April felt a strange pang in her heart as they locked eyes. Her mouth went dry and she felt breathless. They were very, very close. If April lifted her head, their lips would meet. April blushed a little at the thought, but strangest of all was the urge to close that gap.

Leo realized just how close they were just then and quickly let go, scrambling off of her and onto his own feet. He held out his hand and pulled her up. "Y-you okay?" He stuttered.

"Y-yeah. Fine. Thanks."

"Well, um, that's how you do it. Simple really."

"Thanks Leo, for helping me. I, um, I, I have to go. My aunt's waiting for me." April turned and walked out of the dojo, then out of the Lair and onto the open streets in the chilled autumn air. One thought was circling through her mind, no matter how many times she tried to push it away.

What just happened?

**So? Don't be shy, tell me what you think. Even though I've written a second chapter, this will probably stay a oneshot if no one says anything.**

**EVEN IF YOU HATE IT, TELL ME THAT! How else will I know? Of course, I hope you won't say that, but you totally can.**

**-Katana**


	2. Chapter 2

**Hey! Second chapter! Even though I love Leo/Karai, writing for this pairing is too good to pass up. So just pretend Miwa really did die in the fire or something because Karai doesn't exist in this fic, for my sanity. Thank you to the 6 people who reviewed!**

2

Riiiiiiiiiinnnnnnnnnnggggggggg! Leo moaned and tossed over in his bed. He smashed the off button perhaps a little harder than he had to and threw the covers off. He grabbed his mask and gear, stalked into the bathroom and started a quick shower. Under the warm spray, he slowly woke up and his mind turned to a certain red-head. Again.

He growled and tried to force her out of his mind. He started humming, then singing to try to keep her away. It worked, until he sang a love song and his thoughts darted straight back to her.

He slapped off the water, dried off and slipped on his mask and gear. Maybe his morning training would clear his mind.

He half-ran to the dojo and grab his swords of the rack. He started performing his warmup katas, shoving everything out. That lasted for about five minutes before he caught sight of the blue practice mat out of the corner of his eye and her face crept back in. Fiery red hair, cute freckles splattered across the bridge of her nose, and those beautiful sky blue eyes that shone like diamonds. The smell of her perfume, sweet flowers, still haunted him, calling him to think about her. Like when he had pinned her, Leo now felt a strange twist in his stomach, his heart started beating double time, and his palms became slick with sweat. His sword started slipping out of his grip. Leo sighed. It was impossible. He couldn't stop thinking about April.

He racked his swords back and trudged back to his room. He collapsed onto his bed and started thinking. '_Okay. I need to figure out what the heck is wrong with me and get my head back on straight.'_

He decided to start at the beginning. When did he start feeling weird? Excited and nervous at the same time?

'_When I pinned April and looked into her eyes._' Ever since, he hadn't been thinking right. After April had left, he would be doing something, anything, and thoughts and memeroies of April would invade. Her laugh, her smile, her jokes, her comforting words, her fierceness and kindness. Each thought sent shivers and tingles buzzing in his chest and down his spine, then spreading to the rest of his body.

"Huh." He sighed.

A knock on the door interrupted his train of thought. Leo scrambled up to a sitting position. "Come in." He said. Master Splinter stepped into the room.

"So you are awake, Leonardo. Why are you not in the dojo training as you do every morning? Is there something troubling you?" He asked.

"No Sensei." Leo's words rang hollow though, even to him.

"Your actions and tone say otherwise. What is on your mind? It may surprise you, but I may be able to help."

Leo evaded his Sensei's gaze, preferring to look at the floor, but Splinter waited patiently. Whatever was bothering Leonardo did not seem like something easy to say, so Splinter waited until he was ready to talk.

"Well, yesterday I was training in the dojo and April came and asked me if I could help her practice, you know, give her tips and stuff. I agreed, and later she asked me if I could help her learn how to flip someone. I said yes, and with her permission I flipped her to show her how. Well, I ended up on top of her and we were really, really close and I looked into her eyes and ever since I haven't... I can't stop thinking about her, Sensei." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I - I really like her, and I just realized it now." Leo looked up sheepishly at his master.

"Hmm..." Splinter murmured, looking down at his adopted son with a twinkle in his eyes.

"I know it's insane, Sensei. I - "

"There is nothing insane about it. April is a beautiful and wonderful young woman. It is not wrong to feel affection for her."

"Yeah, she is amazing." Leo said, his face getting hot. "But I - I don't know what to do."

"Be yourself Leonardo. Treat April with kindness and respect, and be honest with her about how you feel." Leo's blush grew stronger. Confess his feelings? No way would that be easy. And what if she rejected him? Why wouldn't she? He was a mutant turtle, a freak. She deserved better. Oh, but he cared for her so much. He felt that strongly, even after only a day. He loved her. He truly loved her.

Oh no. It hit him. "What about Donnie?"

Master Splinter, who had been turning to leave, looked back him. "Donatello?"

"Donnie's been in love with April since the moment he laid eyes on her. I can't just pop up and say I like her and take her. I can't hurt Donnie like that."

Master Splinter stroked his beard. "Your feelings have merit as well, Leonardo. And if April returns these feelings, refusing her would hurt her as well as yourself. You do not wish to hurt her, do you?"

"Of course not Sensei! But, I don't know how she feels about me, or Donnie."

Master Splinter smiled kindly at him. "Then you'd best find out." He left Leo's room.

Leo watched the door close, then flopped back down on his bed. "Ugh..."

Love was not easy. And it was only Day 2.

**So this is the flip side, Leo's thought.**

**You know the rules. Review, tell me what you think, then I'll decide if I want to continue the story.**

**Bye! -Katana**


	3. Chapter 3

**Back by popular demand (thank you to the 18 people who have reviewed), here is the third chapter of Love Triangle: Ugh. I have a new cover image, courtesy of the Internet, since a pic of Leo and Karai didn't seem appropriate for a Leo/April fic.**

**For my sanity, Karai doesn't exist in this story. She died in the fire or something. I own nothing.**

3

For the first time since meeting the turtles, April was nervous about seeing them. Okay, she was nervous about seeing a certain turtle in particular. She had stayed away all day yesterday trying to puzzle it all out, but she had come up with zilch.

She couldn't stay away forever though, they were her friends, so here she was, hiking down the old matinience tunnel, taking in the familiar twists and turns. She was almost there. Already she could hear voices floating from the Lair. She smiled. It was a wonder they had remained undetected for so long. Mikey alone made enough noise to wake Manhattan. Then again, they were ninjas, and living so deep in the maze of underground tunnels helped.

One turn left. Quickly, before they saw her, she ducked backed and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and pushed a stray hair behind her ear. "It's just Leo. Nothing to stress about." She took another breath and rounded the final corner.

In contrast to the loud talking she had heard earlier, the Lair was now deathly quiet. Only one turtle was in the room, peeking below their pinball machine.

"Hey Mikey!" April called.

"GAAAHH!" Mikey whipped around, waving his nunchucks frantically.

"Whoa, it's just me!" April held up her hands in a gesture of surrender, backing away.

"Oh, it's just you!" Mikey stuck his weapon back in his belt.

"How did you think it was?"

Mikey smiled sheepishly. "I thought you were Raph trying to sneak up on me."

"What are you guys doing?"

"We're playing hide and seek! NINJA STYLE!" He cheered.

"Fun! Can I play?" April asked.

"Sure! The more the merrier! They can be anywhere in the Lair except our bedrooms and underwater. Good luck! Oh, and if they tag you then make it to this room, they're home free!" Mikey dashed out of the room, heading for the garage.

April smiled in his direction, then turned and headed for the dojo. She slowly slide open the door, carefully not to make more noise than she could help, and crept in. She checked every corner and walked around the entire dojo. Her eyes told her that the room was empty. But her sixth sense, the one she had learned from Master Splinter to trust, said someone was in the dojo. She did another search and stopped in front of the tree. Where on earth could someone be hiding?

She then felt a tap on her back and shrieked, whirled around, and put her fists up. Leo gave her a goofy grin and waved at her upside down, his legs wrapped around one of the branches of the tree. "Hi April." He said with a laugh.

"Leo! Not funny!" But even as she said that, April felt a smile sneak on her face. "Have you been there the entire time?"

"In the dojo? Yeah. In the tree? Nah, I've been jumping from rafter to rafter, then stopping in the tree."

"Sneaky."

Leo shrugged. "I call it stealthy."

"Well, Mr. Stealth, now that I know you're here, how are you going to get to the door without me tagging you?" Before she finished her sentence, April lunged for him. Leo dodged her punch, and swung back up to the branches. He leaped over her and landed close to the door.

"Like that." He said, completely deadpan, then saluted her and made a beeline for the main room.

_Oh no you don't._ April thought, hurrying after him.

She had to admit, for a turtle, Leo was fast, really fast. Before her dad had been kidnapped, Leo would have left her in the dust. But since then, April had taken up running every night, and was getting faster and faster. She was gaining on Leo, fast.

They were almost at the main room. April quickly sprinted as fast as she could and gave a small jump, tackling Leo to the ground.

"Ha! I win!" She cheered, leaping off of him. Leo sat up and shook his head, smiling at the ground.

"So you did." He lifted himself up and brushed off the dirt smearing his plastron. "When did you get so fast?" He stretched and winced as his back snapped. "And strong?"

April grinned. "I learn from the best. And I've been practicing."

Leo just looked at her, smiling softly. April smiled back, but it slowly faded away as Leo kept staring.

"Leo? Leo? Leonardo!"

Leo jumped, then blushed as he realized what he had been doing. "Oh, uh, sorry April." He rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

'"It - it's okay." April felt heat rush across the bridge of her nose and into her cheeks as well, realizing she hadn't _really _minded the staring. Leo smiled tentatively, and April slowly returned it.

The two may have stayed like that forever, staring at each other blushing, each wonder if they should make a move, leave, do SOMETHING, if Mikey hadn't come running through with Donnie and Raph close behind at a less enthused pace.

"Yahoo! I found Donnie and Raph! I. AM. AWESOME!" He shouted.

"Can it Mikey, or I'll can you." Raph grumbled as he climbed down into the pit to his beloved horror comics.

Mikey bravely stuck his tounge out at Raph, then squealed and hid behind Donnie as Raph glared darkly in his direction. Donnie rolled his eyes and vacated his post as a human shield, mumbling something about being in his lab.

Donnie no longer in the way, Mikey finally spotted April and Leo (how Donnie didn't will forever remain a mystery). "April, dudette, you found Leo! It's a miracle!" He cried, gesturing to her with both hands.

April laughed. "More like he found me. I spent ten minutes searching for him in the dojo before he came out of hiding to put me out of my misery."

"Yeah, Fearless there is the master at hide-and-seek." Raph explained in a rare moment of generosity.

Leo blinked in surprise. "Wow, thanks Ra-"

"Teacher's pet, always practicing his stealth."

"Never mind." Leo sighed, rolling his eyes.

A quiet melody on the piano then filled the room, and April slide out her phone. "Ugh, seriously?" She groaned.

"What?"

"My aunt wants me back home for dinner because its already dark. She's worried about all the recent gang violence. I've only been here like 15 minutes though! Why'd she even let me out if she was just going to order me back so soon?" April complained.

"Your aunt's right to be worried. She just wants to keep you safe." Leo said quietly.

"Yeah, I know." April sighed. "Well, I guess I'll see you guys later."

"Bye April!"

"Whatever."

Right before she could take a step out of the Lair though, Leo asked, "Do you want me to walk you home?"

"Sure!" April answered quickly, trying to smother the butterflies that had just took flight in her stomach.

Leo smiled, then walked with her through the sewers and onto the rooftops of the surface. For a long time, neither said anything to break the not exactly awkward, but tense silence. For Leo, Master Splinter's words kept rebounding in his head, and he was trying to find the courage to act on them. For April, she was trying to sort through her emotions and how she was feeling right now and figure out if they meant what she thought they meant.

Then finally Leo decided to suck it up and ask something small. "April?"

"Yeah?"

"Um, can I ask you something?"

"You just did." April pointed out. Leo began stammering and April laughed. "Sure Leo, you can ask me something."

"Um, do, do, do you like Donnie?"

That wasn't what she had been expecting. "What? Why?"

"Well, um, you're always hanging out with him and talking to him and, well, it's kind of part of my big brother complex to know." Not _exactly _a lie.

"No Leo. I mean, Donnie is my best friend and I love him like a brother, but that's it. Nothing more."

"Oh. Oh, okay." Leo tried to seem innocently nonchalant, but inside he was jumping for joy and squealing with glee, and also feeling a bit sad for Donnie that his crush didn't like him back.

All too soon, they reached April's block. Leo helped her down the fire escape like he had done so many times before, this time somehow so much more special, and walked her to her front door, hidden in the shadows.

"Night Leo." April waved over her shoulder, giving him a bright smile.

Leo smiled back, feeling his heart start pumping a mile a minute. "Goodnight April. Sweet dreams." He gave a short bow.

April smiled at him one more time, then let herself in. Leo stared at the closed door for awhile, suddenly regretting not making a move, then shook his head out of the clouds and scaled the building, cloaked in shadows. He began the journey home in high, if not somewhat confused and slight guilty spirits. April had made her feelings for Donnie perfectly clear. Now the only question was, was Leo brave enough to let his feelings be known and make a move?

**You know the drill by now. Review, and if I get enough and feel inspired and my sister stops being a complete jerk long enough to use her tablet, I'll post another chapter. Or you could review out of the goodness of your heart. ****I accept constructive criticism, just be kind about it.**

**Have a good one! **

**-Katana**


	4. Chapter 4

**Fourth chapter (duh)! LeoFan PM'ed me begging for another chapter, with Mikey puppy eyes no less, so I snapped to and wrote a new chapter. This chapter was inspired by the Deviantart picture Leo's Confession To April by Fate4-X.**

**Karai does not exist in this fic, or else I wouldn't be able to write it. **

**Hope you like it.**

April sat at the kitchen table and picked at her food, staring at the plate. She wasn't really hungry; her stomach was full of all the feelings Leo had instilled in her in that half hour or so that she was trying to digest. Her aunt glanced over at her, and her full plate. "All right, spit it out. What's bugging you?"

April looked up at her aunt. Only 30, her aunt had a habit of talking and acting younger than she was.

"Nothing, Aunt Kate."

Her aunt looked at her face, as if reading a book, then leaned back in her chair, looking satisfied. "So who's the guy?"

April blinked wide eyes and immediately began blushing. "What? He's no one - I mean, there's no guy."

"Honey, I may be way past my teenage years, but I still recognize boy trouble. So tell me, what's going on?"

"Aunt Kate, it's nothing." April laid stress on the last word.

Her aunt cocked her head and stared at her, saying without words that she didn't believe that for a second.

April sighed. "I don't know. He's a friend I met a couple of months ago, after Dad -" April swallowed a lump in her throat. "After Dad disappeared. He's been really nice to me and he and his brothers have helped me through all of this. But lately whenever I'm around him, I've been feeling . . . "

"Different?" Her aunt gave a knowing smile.

"Yeah. I feel a little dizzy, my heart feels like it's going to explode, my stomach gives this funny kind of leap, and I think about him at the most random times." April explained with a blush growing stronger with every other word.

"Sounds like you like him."

"I was afraid you'd say that." April said with a bittersweet smile, and shared a laugh with her aunt.

"You wanna talk about it?"

April shook her head. "No, not really. I'd rather sort through this tangled mess alone."

She abandoned the table and her aunt and start to head upstairs to her room before her aunt called up to her, "Will you at least tell me his name?"

April paused with one foot in the air, then backtracked enough to look at her aunt. "It's Leo. Well, actually Leonardo, but everyone calls him Leo."

Her aunt nodded. "Nice name. 'Strong As A Lion' or 'Lion Bold'. Appropriate?"

April smiled. "Very." She pounded up the stairs, flung open her door, and dove onto her bed, shutting the door behind her. She rolled over onto her back and stared at the ceiling, as if the answers to her questions would be written there.

There was no denying it now. April's aunt had confirmed the writing on the wall. She liked Leo. She sighed. 'Because my life needed yet another complication.' She thought.

What was she going to do? She saw the guys, and inadvertently Leo nearly every day. She couldn't ignore him, and she really didn't want to. She could confess, tell him. She didn't really didn't want to do that either. What if he just laughed in her face, or, more likely, become awkward and withdrawn around her? She didn't want that.

So what did she want? April sighed again. She wanted Leo to like her back, that's what she wanted. But what were the odds of that happening?

She couldn't confess and she couldn't ignore him. There was really only one option; act like nothing had happened, that she still saw Leo as only a friend. The ache in her stomach at this notation was more painful than she thought it would be.

She rolled over, grabbed her Ipod of her nighttable and plugged in her earbuds. She clicked Colbie Caillat and shuffle. The first song was Fallin' For You, and April felt tears behind her eyes as she let the words wash over her.

_I am trying not to tell you_

_But I want to, but I'm scared of what you'll and so I'm hiding what I'm feeling_

_But I'm tired of holding this inside my head_

_I've been spending all my time just think 'bout you_

_I don't what to do_

_I think I'm falling for you . . ._

* * *

Leo tossed in his bed one more time, hoping without much hope he would drift off. Unfortunately, his mind insisted on replaying his walk with April over and over again, analyzing every little thing, every little feeling. He didn't really mind the instant replays; he just wished he could sleep a little first.

Feeling that it wasn't going to happen anytime soon, Leo threw off his covers and sat up. He heaved a great sigh and looked around his room. While before he had been tired and just wanted to go to sleep, now he felt restless, his dilemma with April filling his mind. He stood up, went to the edge of his bed, and started pacing, his mind going into planning/organizing/strategy mode. Okay, what first?

One. He liked April a lot. Two. Donnie also liked April a lot. Three. April didn't like Donnie in that way. Four. April's feelings towards him were unknown. Five. Leo wouldn't know what to do next without finding out. If she didn't like him that way, then none of this would matter and he and Donnie could grieve together. If she did . . . well, he would cross that bridge if/when he came to it.

Conclusion? His course of action should be tell April how he felt, like Master Splinter suggested, and listen to her reply.

Leo groaned. Easier said than done. And what if she rejected him? What if she _liked him back?_ Both options were difficult, to say the least. If she rejected him, his heart would be broken. If she liked him back, Donnie would be devastated and feel betrayed. But April had made it clear she didn't like him that way, so why shouldn't Leo have a chance to win her?

But all of this was pointless if he didn't know how she felt. A surge of courage flowed through him. He needed to ask her, but he knew he couldn't wait. He needed to ask her now. Before he lost his bravery.

He slipped his mask, belts, and pads back on and tucked his swords into their sheath. applying his ninja stealth, he slowly crept out of his room and, before he could think twice about what he was doing, left the Lair on a course for April's apartment.

* * *

Leo stared at the yellow-tinted windows. He took a deep breath. Then another. Then another. _You know, she's probably asleep. Maybe I should just wait untill tomorrow. NO! If I don't do it now, I'll just keep putting it off._

Leo took one final deep breath and raised his hand, softly knocking on the glass.

"April? April? Are - are you awake?"

* * *

April drifted out of her slumber. For a moment, she couldn't tell what had woken her up. But then it happened again. A soft knock at her window, and a whispered "April?"

She trudged out of her nice warm bed and stumbled to the window, pushing it open. To her surprise, Leo stood on her balcony, blushing slightly.

"Leo?" She yawned. "What is it?"

"Hey. Um, I - I need to tell you something."

"Can it wait 'til morning?" April rubbed one eye, still half asleep.

"No, it - it has to be now." He took a deep breath and before he could lose his nerve, he confessed. "April, I - I like you. I like you a lot and I - I just wanted you to know that."

April's eyes went wide, suddenly wide awake. "R-really?"

"Um, yeah." Leo's blush became more pronounced.

"No way, this has to be a dream. There's no way that the night I figure out how I feel, you come and say you like me."

"Ya-ya-you like me?" Leo stammered. "April, this isn't a dream." To prove his point, Leo lightly squeezed her arm.

April blushed, realizing that he was right and this WASN'T a dream and she had basically told Leo she liked him.

"Um, well, uh . . ." she sighed. _Come on April, just suck it up and tell him. How hard should it be, _especially _when he just said he liked you?_

"Yeah, I like you too Leo." she blurted out, her face the same color as her hair.

"Really?" Leo echoed April.

"Yeah." April smiled hesitantly yet strongly. Leo returned it.

There was a long silence then -

"What now?" Leo asked.

April laughed. "Well, usually the guy asks the girl on a date."

Leo thought for a second, then smiled. "April O'Neil, would you do me the honor of going out on a date with me? Tomorrow night at Murakami's?"

April smiled too, a silly grin. "I would love to, Leonardo Hamato. Um, 9:00 okay?"

"Perfect, just like you."

"Leo!" April blushed.

"I cannot tell a lie, as my brothers repeatedly inform me."

"You know, that's a good thing. I like it."

"Thank you." He gave her one more smile. "I should let you get some sleep. Goodnight April."

"Goodnight Leo."

Leo stared at her for a second, then leaned in quickly and kissed her cheek. He smiled, blushing slightly, then slipped off into the night.

April gazed out her window for a few more seconds, then sighed a happy, giddy sigh and went back to bed. She knew it would be close to impossible to sleep now, so she grabbed her Ipod once more, this time selecting a sing by Taylor Swift. She set it on repeat, and very slowly drifted off with the lyrics spinning round and round in her head, reminding her of Leo.

_And I don't know how it gets better than this_

_You take my hand and drag me head first,_

_Fearless._

* * *

Leo crept back into his home, feeling like he was floating on Cloud Nine. He had a date with April! And she liked him back! Yes! Happy as he was, he ended up missing the figure hiding in the shadows until it stepped forward and cleared its throat. Leo froze, then turned around and sheepishly looked up at his Sensei.

"Where were you, Leonardo?" He asked.

"I was following your advice Sensei. I had just found the courage to act upon it."

Master Splinter's ears perked up, interested. "And how did it go?"

Leo flashed a tooth-filled grin. "Amazing! I've got a date tomorrow night. She likes me too Sensei!" Leo said in a rush, almost exploding with happiness.

"Then you had better get some rest."

"Hai, Sensei!" Leo smiled even wider and rushed off to his room. Splinter smiled fondly at Leo's retreating back. His sons were growing up on him, and he couldn't be prouder.

**I only have one thing to say . . . **

**Review! Pwity Pwease? *Mikey puppy eyes that make your heart melt. If they don't then you're a soulless monster. How can you resist his puppy eyes?!***


	5. Chapter 5

**Since so many people asked me to update quickly and I thought it would be quicker to write this, THEN another chapter of We Are, and LeoFan gave me more puppy eyes, I wrote the date chapter. **

**I used some Japanese and got the translations off of Yahoo and Google, so I apologize if it's wrong.**

**Karai does not exist in this fic. At all. Period. Or I would be unable to write it. Thank you to everyone who's reviewed so far; you guys are awesome!**

5

Leo woke up once again to the ringing of his alarm clock at 6:15. He groaned, still exhausted. _Wh__y am I so tired?_

Then he remembered. Confessing to April, asking her on a date, kissing her cheek. He grinned as he went over the conversation again in his mind. She liked him too! She didn't reject him because he was different. Leo smiled to himself. That was one of the things he loved about her, that she could look past their appearances and see the human in them. She was so caring and sweet, yet strong and fierce when she wanted to. He thought back to the time she went to investigate the Kraang during the day, how dead set on going she was. She was amazing.

Fully awake now, Leo thought for the first time since he was at April's about Donnie. His smile fell as his heart did the same, feeling very, very guilty. Donnie had been in love with April since the moment he saw her. Leo had only known about his feelings for a few days. It wasn't really fair that he would win April's love.

_Well, he had forever to tell her. I'm the one who had the courage to tell her, and I'm the one she likes, so why shouldn't I be with her?_ He thought crossly. But he knew that wasn't fair either. Donnie was shy, always had been. Heck, he could barely talk to her. How was he supposed to reveal his deepest feelings?

Leo sighed. What was he supposed to do? He couldn't just spring this on Donnie. He would be crushed and hate him forever. But it wasn't fair to let him have false hope, and it wasn't really fair to himself to deny his feelings just to give Donnie a bit more false hope that would crush him when April finally made it clear to him that she didn't feel that way about him. But Donnie was his little brother! He couldn't just crush him like that! Ugh. So this was a love triangle. And Leo could say with absolute truth that, despite it's appeal on TV shows and in books, it sucked.

Leo turned back to more impending matters, namely his date with April. His heart raced, excited and extremely nervous. What was he supposed to do on a date? He scoured his limited knowledge on the subject. Well, for starters, he was going to pay for the meal. Leo slid off his bed and pried a brick loose out of his wall. Hidden in the cavity was his emergency supply of money he had collected over the years. He counted. He had about fifty dollars. That should be more than enough for dinner for two. What else? Flowers, maybe? Girls liked flowers, right? What would he say on the date? Should he sit next to her or across? Man, this was complicated.

And how would he get away from his brothers? He couldn't tell them the truth. Fake being sick? He didn't know how, that was Mikey's department. Sneak away? Maybe. Stay behind "just because"? They'd never let him get away with that. Leo flipped back down on his bed. He needed a plan. He wanted everything to go right, which meant getting away from his brothers without arousing suspicion, doing everything just right on his date.

This was going to be tough.

* * *

All day, during training and watching TV, Leo planned and plotted, working out what he was going to do. Finally, he came up with a plan he hoped would work. Before patrol, he took a quick shower and washed up. He got out a brand new, clean, not blood-stained underneath mask and gave his swords a good polish (April was still a target. Leo was lovestruck, not stupid).Finally, it was 8:30 and time to head put for patrol. Before they left for the surface, though, Leo stopped them.

"I thought we'd do something different tonight." He said.

"Like what?" Raph asked, slightly interested.

"I thought tonight we'd split up. We all start from different points and patrol the city. But we use stealth. If you're spotted by one of us, you get a point. The person with the most points gets to take over all cleaning duties for a week."

"And why would we agree to that?" Raph challenged.

"Because it's a chance to not have to clean for a week." Leo smirked.

The prospect of passing their workload onto someone else sounded great, so the three brothers agreed. They ascend to the surface and the minute his brothers split up, Leo raced to the park. He found beautiful pink lilies in a secluded field and carefully sliced off the biggest bud he could find. Then, he made his way to Murakami's, careful not to get dirty. At percisely 8:55 he walked in the door.

"Hello Murakami-san." He greeted the chef.

"Ah, hello Leonardo-san. Are your brothers with you?"

"No Murakami-san, it's just me. I'm meeting April here."

"Ah, I see. Would you care for something to eat?"

"Um, I'll wait until April gets here. I don't know what she wants."

"Of course, Leonardo-san. Good luck." The chef smiled at him and went into the back.

Leo smiled back, then sat down at the table to cool his heels. Butterflies flurried in his stomach as he waited for April to arrive. For the next four minutes, nothing happened, and Leo was more high-strung then he was during his first mission. Then, at 9:00, April came in.

* * *

The first thing April did when she woke up in the morning was pinch herself. Did that all really happen? Did Leo really ask her out? She looked at her Ipod and, to her delight, _Fearless _was playing on a loop. He really did come last night! He really did like her! She silently cheered in her head.

Now she had to get through the day without dying of anticipation. She climbed out of bed and took the stairs down two at a time. Her aunt was already up, sipping coffee.

"Morning Aunt Kate!" April chirped, reaching for a box of Cheerio's.

"Well, someone's happy this morning. Mind telling me why?" Aunt Kate chuckled.

"Leo, um, texted me last night. He likes me too Aunt Kate! He asked me on a date! Tonight at Murakami's!"

"That's great April!"

* * *

Somehow, April made it through the day. When 8:00 rolled around, it found her digging through her closet. She wanted to wear something nice. Not a dress or anything, but something other than her usual day-to-day attire. Finally, she picked out a soft green sweater and a nice pair of dark blue jeans. She put on a little perfume, traded her yellow headband for a green one, and walked downstairs. After a _lot_ of compliments from her aunt, April finally escaped and walked downtown to Murakami's. When she got there, it was 9:00 on the dot. She took a deep breath in, and pushed open the door.

A little bell rang, and the smell of Japanese food cooking hit her. Leo was waiting, of course, eyes fixed on the door. His mouth was wide open at the sight of her. April giggled and Leo quickly shut it and blushed.

"H-h-hi April." He stuttered. "Y-you look beautiful."

"Thanks Leo." She sat down next to him.

"Um, I got you this." He said, holding out his hands, cupping something hidden from view. "It doesn't really match, but . . ." He opened his hands, and in his palms laid a pretty pink lily.

"Oh, Leo. It's beautiful." She gasped. "Thank you. I know just what to do with it." She dug a bobby pin out of her pocket and clipped the blossom to her headband.

Murakami came out of the back room and smiled at the two. "April-san, how wonderful to hear you."

April giggled. "It's good to see you to, Murakami-san."

"What would you like, ojousan?"

"Um, pizza gyoza please." April requested.

"And you, Leonardo-san?"

"Same, and some green tea, please?"

"Of course, Leonardo-san." The chef nodded and started cooking. For a few minutes, the pair watched in amazement at his obvious skill.

"So, um, how's school going?" Leo asked, mentally slapping himself at how stupid the words sounded.

"Fine. Could be better, but it's school. It could always be better." April shrugged.

"Wish that I could go to school." Leo murmered.

April laughed. "No, you don't Leo. Trust me."

"Hey, Donnie isn't the only turtle who likes to read and learn. I wouldn't mind."

"Well then you can take my place and I'll stay in the Lair watching TV all day." April joked.

"I do more than watch TV. I read, I train, I draw-"

"You draw?" April asked.

Leo blushed. "A little, when I just need to vent."

"Cool. I like to, but the best I can draw is a stick figure."

"Aw, I'm sure that's not true."

"It is. I'm just no good at it."

Murakami came over and set a teapot and two cups in front of them. "Green tea." He explained, then went back to the stoves.

Leo smiled and with expert hands cradled the teapot and poured the liquid into his cup. "Do you want some, April?"

"I've never had it before, but sure, I'll try some." Leo filled her glass as well then gently set down the pot. He picked up his cup and April mimicked him. They both took a sip.

Leo swallowed. "What do you think?"

April pondered his question over the taste of the scalding tea in her mouth. She swallowed and answered, "Good. Different, but in a good way. Like you."

Leo smiled at her. "Thanks."

A mouth-watering aroma filled the air, and Mr. Murakami walked ober, setting two plates in front of them. "Here you are, tomodachi. Enjoy." Just then the lights flickered and died, the light of the moon and streetlamps outside casting enough light to just barely make out the outlines of the people inside.

"The power has gone out again. Do not worry; this happens all the time." Murakami reached beneath the cointer and pulled out several candles and some matches. He quickly lit them and bathed the tiny shop in warm candlelight.

"Thank you, Murakami-san." April and Leo chorused.

"You are welcome tomodachi. I will be in the back room if you need anything." The chef left the room, smilimg at the pair.

"Did you ask him to do this?" April teased, gesturing to the candles.

Leo grinned, shaking his head. "No, but I should have."

April jokingly punched his arm. Leo retailiated, so April had to return fire. This went on for about a minute before Leo laughed and raised his hands in surrender.

"Okay, I surrender. Let's eat before Murikami's hard work goes to waste." April nodded, and conversation cecsed as the two enjoyed the meal their friend had prepared them.

15 minutes later, all that was left was crumbs on the plates. Murakami came out of the backroom, like all good resteraunt owners being able sense when his customers were done.

"Thank you Murakami-san. It was delicious, like always." April complemented.

"Hai. Sore ga vey katta. Arigato, Murikami-san." Leo said in Japanese.

"You are quite welcome, my friends. It is the least I can do." The master chef graciously execpted their praise.

Leo dug into his belt pocket and pulled out a wad of bills. He handed them to Murakami.

"No payment is neccessary, kame-san. It was a pleasure to cook for you."

"I insist, Murakami-san. It is only right that I pay."

Murakami gave in, but only took half the money Leo owed, remarking that there were better things he could spend the money on. Leo conceeded as well, sensing he wouldn't get the chef to budge.

Leo and April said their goodbyes, then stepped out into the cold night. They traveled by rooftops, Leo careful to keep hidden in the shadows. They encountered none of Leo's brothers, and talked back and forth. All too soon, they arrived back at April's apartment.

"I had fun tonight." April smiled.

"Me too, April. I'd love to do it again." Leo said shyly.

"Are you saying what I think you're saying?" April asked slowly.

"Um, yes, uh, no, um, uh, I think so, I mean - what do you think I'm saying?" Leo stuttered.

"Are you asking to be my boyfriend?" April slowly ventured.

"Well, actually I was just going to ask you out on another date . . ." Leo began, and April shoulders slumped. "But that sounds so much better! So, um, April, will you, um, be my girlfriend?"

April said nothing, insteaded hugging the turtle tightly. "I'll take that as a yes." Leo choked out, trying to breathe. April loosened her grip, and Leo hugged her back, smiling like an idiot. A very lovestruck, very happy idiot.

**Sorry for the sucky ending, but I thought it made a fluffy cut-off point. Out of the tip two stories I'm working on, this is the fluffy one and the other is more angsty and deeper, at least, I hope.**

**Anyway, to make a crazy fangirl happy, please just type your thoughts into the magical portal below and hit the magical button that really should be red (because the big red buttons are always the coolest and most fun/destructive.). In other word, review!**

**Bye! -Katana**


	6. Chapter 6

**Um, hey. Sorry it's been so long, but I've been working on We Are a lot recently. And honestly this probably isn't worth the wait. I promise my next chapter will be better. Enjoy.**

For Mikey, patrol was boring so far. There was absolutely nothing happening. No Kraang, no Purple Dragons, no Foot, not even any older brothers to annoy. Well, for the most part. Every once and awhile, a brother had popped out to say they had spotted him. But other than _that,_ nothing. Completely and totally bored, and completely and totally sick of being completely and totally bored and bad at stealth, Mikey decided to take what he thought was a well-deserved break. So he decided to go to April's!

It took almost no time to get to April's apartment. But when Mikey was just a couple of rooftops away, he saw something that made him duck into the shadows. It was April, on a rooftop across the street. And she wasn't alone, she was with Leo.

_What the shell?_ Mikey thought._ Why is Leo talking to April when we're on a stealth mission? And why is April all dressed up?_ Sensing a chance for blackmail, Mikey actually applied his stealth and crept over to the rooftop. He had just reached the rooftop right next to the pair when he heard April start talking.

"Are you asking to be my boyfriend?" April slowly asked. Mikey's jaw dropped. Boyfriend?! Leo?!

"Well, actually I was just going to ask you out on another date . . ." Mikey's jaw went down a bit further. Date? ANOTHER date? As in, they had already been on at least one? "But that sounds so much better! So, um, April, will you, um, be my girlfriend?"

April's response was to hug Leo until he said he couldn't breath. At that point, Leo hugged her back, leaving Mikey dumbfounded in the shadows, wondering what exactly it was he just saw. Leo and April were _dating_?! And now in a _relationship?!_ But, what about Donnie? Donnie was the one who was supposed to be with April, not Leo. Mikey didn't even know Leo liked April.

He needed to know more. So he decided to be a good little ninja and follow the new couple. What he saw blew his mind.

* * *

Leo and April broke apart from the hug, but their hands sought each other and wove themselves together. Leo escorted her down the fire escape and into the alley by her aunt's apartment. He found his hands lingering on April's arms, her shoulders, her hands, and April did the same when holding onto him for balance. He honestly loved the feeling of her touch and April felt similarly. His soul felt light and carefree as he helped her reach the exit to the alley.

"Is it okay if I drop you off here? I don't think your aunt is ready to see me."

"That's fine, Leo. I understand."

The problem was, Leo himself didn't like it. All that guilt Leo had been pushing down was clawing its way back up his throat. Guilt about Donnie, guilt about who he was, guilt about everything, and the more he thought about his own words, the worse he felt. His mouth twisted into a frown, and April took notice.

"What's wrong?" She asked, concerned. Things had been going so well . . .

"N-nothing." He said, avoiding eye contact, hoping April would drop it. She didn't buy it for a second.

"You're right, Leo. You can't lie. What's wrong?" She asked again, a little more forcefully.

"Leo?"

"What am I doing?" He whispered.

"What?" April said, confused.

"What am I doing? I shouldn't be doing this." Leo said, talking more to himself than April.

"What do you mean, you shouldn't be doing this? Leo, don't you like me?" April asked.

"I do, I do! April, I love spending time with you!" Leo rushed to say. "It's just - April, I'm a mutant turtle. I can't meet your family, I can't go on a regular date, I can't be the normal guy you deserve. I shouldn't be doing this to you, I'm just being selfish, hurting everyone around me."

"Leo . . ." April tried to say.

"And I'm not the one who's loved you from the moment we all met. I've only known for a few days. I don't deserve to be with you." Leo was rambling now. All the guilty thoughts he had shoved to the back of his mind were now sputtering out, and try as he might to shut up, he found he couldn't.

"Leo . . ." April tried again.

"I mean, you shouldn't be with me, you should have a normal boyfriend, or at least one who isn't being threatened to be killed every minute of his life and -"

Fed up with Leo completely ignoring her, April did the only thing she could think of. Praying that TV wouldn't let her down, April slapped Leo across the face. It didn't hurt, but it shocked him enough to make his spiel die out and stare at April like she had grown an extra head.

"Leonardo, listen to me. I don't care. I. Don't. Care. You are the bravest person I have ever meet and the most decent, honest, protective, selfless guy on this planet. I don't care if you're a mutant turtle, you're human enough to me, and as for the other brother who likes me, well, I choose you, Leo. That's how it works. Both people in the relationship have to like each other. So shut up and just accept that I'm with you and nothing is going to change my mind." April folded her arms across her chest and stared fiercely at him.

Leo blinked. Then again, trying to comprehend what just happened. His mind was stuck on April slapping him. Then it kicked back into gear and went through what April said. "But April -"

"Leo. I don't. CARE."

"But - but Donnie - " Leo hesitated, wondering if he should finish that sentence.

"Leo, I didn't choose Donnie. I chose you. Because I like you, get it?" April said, her face blushing at her bold words. She didn't mean to be so brash about it, but it was too late to take it back, and maybe it would get the message across.

"April, I can't do this to Donnie." Leo tried once last time to say what he was thinking.

April sighed. "Leo . . ." She stared at her boyfriend and, on impulse, grasped his huge hands in her small ones. "Leo, I like you. Get that through your thick skull. Not Donnie, not some normal kid, you."

"But -"

April leaned forward and suddenly their lips met. Both pairs of eyes locked in each other, wide in shock, then fluttered shut, reveling in the new sensation of kissing. Neither having any experience in this art, they both relied purely on instinct and allowed their lips to press against each other's with tender care. They remained pressed together for about a minute before April gently ended it.

Leo blinked lazily in a dazed fashion, then looked into April's eyes. "What was I saying? Because I think I want to take it back."

April giggled. "You'd better." Both of them blushed, different shades of red and pink filling their checks.

"Um, uh, thanks." Leo stuttered. "Um, and, uh, I'm sorry."

"It's okay. You were just being you."

"Um, so, what should I do about Donnie?"

April sighed. "I don't know. Can - can we talk about this later?"

Leo nodded. "Sure. I need to be getting back to my brothers anyway. They don't exactly know where I am."

"Okay. See you tomorrow?"

Leo smiled. "Count on it." He leaned in and kissed her cheek, then smiled at her adorable blushing and shot up the fire escape.

* * *

Leo couldn't help but grin as he ran across the rooftops on April's block, a very noticeable spring in his step. Despite all the trouble that was sure to come, April had chosen him. April chose him, a mutant turtle who couldn't hope to measure up to his other brother in the brains department. Who wouldn't be happy after that? His thoughts crawled back to Donnie, but he snapped them back to April. He wasn't going to think about Donnie until the next time he was alone with April and could figure out what to do.

"So you and April, huh?" A voice shot out of the darkness. Leo froze, then turned around to face his youngest brother, a very curious expression on his face, demanding an answer.

**So . . .**

**Well, they kissed, like you asked for!**

**Okay, it's awful. I know. I beg for constructive criticism, please. Please review, I really need it to fix this chapter and fix. **

**Have a good one,**

**Katana **


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